SiGe(C) Epitaxial Technologies - Issues and Prospectives

Abstract

Epitaxial layers of Silicon Germanium Carbides, SiGe(C), have entered mainstream Silicon processing, forming base regions in heterojunction bipolar transistors. There also are exciting prospects for SiGe(C) having an impact on MOS technologies. In both cases heteroepitaxial layers enable very significant performance enhancements at the device and circuit level. A related area and a familiar hot issue is silicon epitaxy for device active regions in MOS technologies where tightly controlled doping distributions can be incorporated to facilitate device function at deep submicron channel lengths. CVD is a preferred epitaxy deposition technique for production; currently LP-CVD and UHV-CVD dominate. Each of these techniques demand much of the technology and have their respective strengths and weaknesses. Issues regarding matrix and doping control, uniformity, blanket and selective area growth, and throughput (a sensitive area) will be addressed. Also in the CVD portfolio is LEPE-CVD, a recent contender for the production arena that has the ability to access very high deposition rates. Such rates are required in depositing relaxed buffer layer material required as virtual substrates' for higher Ge content layers. SS-MBE, traditionally the favorite technique for research, also has distinct possibilities for development as a production tool. Here the issues relate primarily to throughput and system design, and (surprisingly) matrix profile control. These techniques will be outlined and reviewed in this paper along with issues that determine their development as the competition heats up in epitaxy, and as more complex and high Ge content structures are needed to progress Si technology to new performance heights and application areas. (11 figures, 6 refs.)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 03, 2002
Accession Number
ADP013777

Entities

People

  • E. H. Parker
  • T. E. Whall
  • T. J. Grasby

Organizations

  • University of Warwick

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Batch Processing
  • Bipolar Junction Transistors
  • Electronics Industry
  • Epitaxial Growth
  • Flow
  • Flow Rate
  • Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors
  • Heterojunctions
  • High Resolution
  • Low Temperature
  • Mass Spectroscopy
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Physics
  • Production
  • Quantum Wells
  • Subatomic Particles

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Semiconductor Device Technology
  • Systems Analysis and Design